Not Natural
by aggressivefangirl
Summary: We all know the story of the two boys who traveled the country in an effort to save the world by hunting the supernatural. But, this is not their story. This is the story of two girls who did the exact same thing. Minus the whole starting-the-apocalypse thing, dying multiple times and some other stuff, of course.
1. Introduction

**Hey guys! This is my new fic, based in the Supernatural world. It's about two girls who, like Sam and Dean, travel America hunting things like wendigoes and ghosts. Hope you like it, and don't feel unwelcome to criticise and help me make this story better!**

**Set in Season 1.**

**Thanks, **

**M.**

* * *

**_INTRODUCTION_**

Laughter rang out in the small motel room. _AC/DC_ was playing softly from the old stereo over in the corner. The room smelt like air freshener, along with perfume and nail varnish. There were empty takeaway containers from the Chinese place down the road, piled up on the round table in the middle of the room. It was a happy atmosphere, which one would probably not expect from the cheap, run-down motel room.

There were only two people occupying the room. Two young women, to be precise. They were sitting on the only bed in the room, laughing and talking, and sometimes singing along to the music. They were painting each other's nails, and seemed to be having a great time. One of the girls was more curvy than the other, with wavy, light brown hair tumbling halfway down her back. The other girl, who was sitting across from her, was thinner and had straight, red hair. Both girls were average height, and they were both wearing loose shirts and their underwear.

It was the early hours of the morning, and the moon was out, shining through their window. The brunette said something, and the other girl laughed.

"So, what about that guy at the hospital today?" The redhead smirked, as she painted her friend's nails a midnight blue, almost black.

"What about him?" The brunette snorted, trying not to move so that she wouldn't disturb her friend's handiwork.

"You didn't think he was cute? He was totally checking you out," the other girl replied, her eyes flicking up to her friend's, with a mischievous glint in them.

"You know how I feel about that kind of thing," the brunette raised an eyebrow, looking up at her friend through her eyelashes. Her friend smiled and nodded.

"I know, I know. I'm just trying to be a good friend."

"I know you are, Ellie. But I'm fine without a man. It's not really a luxury we could have, anyway," She replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Hey, hey, I never said it would have to be long-term," Ellie smirked. Her friend gasped.

"Are you suggesting a one night stand?" The brunette placed a hand over her heart in mock betrayal. "Ellie! How could you? I am not that easy!" Ellie laughed, shaking her head at her friends dramatic display.

"Well, now I can see that you are definitely fine. Back to the usual snarky, sarcastic Karla we go," she chuckled. Karla laughed too, and soon they were in fits of giggles and collapsing all over the bed. Once they calmed down, they just laid down beside each other, exhausted from everything that they had done today.

There was another ringing laugh, though this one did not belong to either of the two girls. They both sat up simultaneously, and shared a look, and seemed to come to a unanimous decision. They hopped up from the bed at the same time, and both walked over to the desk in the corner of the room. Ellie picked up what looked like a container of rock salt, and Karla picked up a shotgun. She loaded it with rounds and took up a defensive stance.

"What the hell was that?" Karla whispered to her friend, who was also loading her own gun.

"I don't know, but it sounded an awful lot like the ghost we were hunting today," Ellie shrugged. Karla looked back at her, confusion clouding her face.

"But we burned her bones!" Karla replied. As soon as the words left her mouth, a small girl seemingly flickered into existence right in front of them.

"Well obviously, this chick doesn't want to move on," Ellie replied, and they both aimed their guns at the girl. The ghost looked about ten years old, and was wearing a ripped, dirty dress. She was holding a long, sharp knife in one hand, and was slowly creeping towards the two friends. Karla shot her, and she disappeared. Ellie quickly got to work, pouring lines of rock salt at every entrance to their motel room, including the windows.

"What the hell? How is she at our motel room? Scratch that, how is she still alive?" Karla near shouted, dumbfounded by the situation.

"I don't know! We must have missed something, must have brought something back with us- oh." Ellie froze, and looked to Karla with wide eyes.

"Ellie, what did you do?" Karla said slowly, like she was talking to a five year old.

"Well, um, I may have taken something from the mansion this morning," Ellie replied, looking at her feet guiltily.

"What? Elspeth Mary Monroe, what did you take?" Karla stood with her hands on her hips and accusation on her face.

"I took a locket, okay? It was pretty, and looked antique. Maybe there's a lock of hair or something in it," she said, and looked at Karla, who was staring right back at her like she was waiting for her to do something. They were silent for a few seconds.

"Well? What are you waiting for, go burn the thing!" Karla threw her hands in the air, exasperated.

"Oh right, yeah! I'll do that now," Ellie ran over to her duffel bag, and started frantically digging through its contents. It took her a few seconds, but she eventually found what she was looking for. She pulled a silver chain out of her bag, and on the chain was a oval-shaped locket. Ellie was right when she said the thing was pretty; it had an elaborate pattern carved into the shiny silver, and it seemed like it was a hundred years old. Ellie opened the locket, and in it was a lock of blonde hair, just as she had guessed. She threw the locket into the bin near the door, and covered it in salt and fuel.

"Hey Karla, chuck me your lighter," Ellie held her hand out, and Karla picked up a lighter from the table. She went to throw it to Ellie, but it was ripped out of the air and thrown to the side. Karla spun around as Ellie leaped for the lighter which now on the opposite side of the room. The ghost girl was back in the room, even though that should be impossible. Karla aimed her shotgun at the ghost, but it too was ripped away and thrown to the other side of the room.

"Son of a bitch," she cursed, looking between her gun and the ghost. How had the ghost gotten into the room if they had salted the entrances? Karla looked around frantically, and noticed an air vent in the roof.

"Dammit," she growled. How hadn't they noticed that? Now, both girls were weapon-less and in danger. Ellie was scrambling towards the lighter, but the ghost didn't pay any attention to her. She creeped towards Karla, raising the knife and laughing. Karla backed up towards the wall, and slid down to sit on the floor. She pushed herself into the wall to get as far from the ghost as she could. The ghost moved slowly, like she was savouring the moment. Karla's gaze flickered towards Ellie, who had reached the lighter and was moving back to the bin. The ghost didn't seem to realise, though.

"Um, Ellie, we don't have all night," Karla frantically called out to her friend.

"Yeah, chill out, Karla. I've nearly got it," Ellie called back, trying to get a flame, but the lighter didn't want to cooperate. The ghost was now only a few feet away from Karla, who was really wishing that they kept their weapons on a bungee cord. The ghost held the knife out further, and started slashing it around Karla.

"Aha! Got it!" Ellie shouted victoriously, after managing to get the lighter to work. She chucked it into the bin, and it lit up, burning the locket and the hair inside of it. Ellie turned to face Karla, just in time to see the ghost screech in agony and burn up, disappearing for good. The two girls stared at each other, both with fear and relief evident on their faces. The room was silent for a few seconds, before they both burst out laughing and Ellie walked to sit next to Karla.

"Are you serious? You took the freakin' locket from the haunted mansion? Have you ever seen a horror movie before? You are probably the biggest idiot I've ever had the misfortune to meet," Karla chuckled, shaking her head at her friend and smiling.

"Yeah, but you love me," Ellie replied, smiling too.

"Whatever lets you sleep at night, princess." The two girls quietened again, still smiling. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened to them before, and it wouldn't be the last time, either. They both knew this, but it wouldn't stop them from hunting. They were great hunters, and they chose this life. They both knew that they wouldn't be able to go back to their old lives. They had nothing but each other, and that's how it had always been. And they were fine with it staying that way.


	2. The Beginning of the Beginning

**Okay, here's chapter one, though there isn't really much action in it. Please read and review!**

* * *

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

I guess that you could say it all started in high school. But., isn't that where everything starts? New friendships, new views on life, and many other things. For Ellie and Karla, you could say it was the beginning of the beginning of a new chapter in both of their lives.

* * *

_The girl walked down the corridor with her head down and her books clutched tightly to her chest. She took small steps, and kept her eyes on the ground. She had long brown hair, that curled as it fell down her back. She let it fall into her face, like it was her shield to protect her from the world. She wore old jeans, and a plaid shirt that was clearly too big for her, and showed no skin. Her shoes were falling apart, and there was a baseball cap sitting on her head, pulled forward to cover her face. She walked alone, not stopping to talk to anyone, except for the mumbled 'sorry' when someone bumped into her. Other students walked straight past her like she was invisible. As she walked closer to the end of the corridor, she looked up, scanning the numbers on the lockers. She stopped at number 743. She moved her books so she was only holding them with one arm, and tried to unlock her locker. It wouldn't open no matter what she did though, and she fumbled for a while before giving up and resting her head against the door. _

"_Need some help?" Karla jumped a foot in the air, and her head turned to the voice so fast that it was a miracle that she didn't get whiplash. She frowned, heart racing._

"_You shouldn't scare people like that; it's not healthy," she replied quietly, turning back to her locker._

"_Sorry, I didn't mean to. It looked like your locker was stuck, so I thought I'd come and give you a hand." The stranger was a girl, who looked to be a senior, like Karla. She had straight red hair, tucked behind her ears, and freckles all over her face. She was wearing a denim jacket and a summer dress with a floral pattern. She was eating an apple and leaning against the locker next to Karla's. Karla didn't respond to her, so the girl stopped eating and stood up. Karla didn't notice, and kept playing with the lock. _

"_Here, let me," the girl sighed and gently pushed Karla out of the way. Karla looked at her, sizing her up as if trying to decide whether she was friend or foe. The girl kicked the locker, and it popped open. _

"_Yahtzee," she smiled, looking back at Karla. She was almost smiling, the sides of her mouth curling up ever so slightly._

"_Thanks," she said, and the girl moved so she could put her books away. Karla had expected her to leave, but she stayed right where she was. Karla looked up at her, confusion clear on her face._

"_My name's Ellie Monroe. You're the new girl, right?" Ellie asked, still smiling. Karla nodded, wondering why this girl was still talking to her._

"_Karla." She stated simply. Ellie's smile dropped a bit, wondering why this girl seemed so closed off. _

"_Well, Karla, what are you doing all alone? Haven't you made any friends yet?" Ellie was confused; Karla seemed nice._

"_I don't really like big groups," Karla shrugged, looking down._

"_I get it. Well, if you have no one else to sit with, wanna sit with me?" Ellie asked, genuinely. Karla looked up, surprised._

"_Um, my people skills are a little rusty," she admitted quietly. Ellie smiled, hoping that she had made a new friend. The people she sat with normally didn't seem like her real friends; she had never really clicked with them. _

"_Well, uh, that's alright, it can just be me and you, if that's cool," she said. Karla smiled, and though it wasn't a huge smile, it was genuine. She nodded, and grabbed her lunch, and together they walked to the cafeteria. _

* * *

_Over time, it became obvious that Karla and Ellie were meant to be friends. They became incredibly close, and they brought out the best in each other. Karla made Ellie compassionate and more than just the pretty popular girl with the nice clothes. Ellie made Karla come out of her shell, and made her happier and less introverted. It had only been a couple of months since they had first met, but they were already joined at the hip. They did everything together; school work, hanging out, extra-curricular activities. They were each the other's best and closest friend._

_Even so, Karla still hadn't told Ellie about her dark past. Ellie knew that Karla wasn't so closed off, especially around guys, for no reason. Karla knew that someday she would have to tell her about her past, but she could wait a little longer. _

_It was early in the morning, just before dawn, when Ellie decided to go for a run. She thought that she would run down to the 24 hour diner and get some breakfast, and then walk back. She was almost nearing the corner store near her house when she heard yelling. Thinking that it would be a good idea to go check it out and see if anyone needed her help, she turned down a street and followed the noise. As she got closer, the yelling became more clearer, and she realised that there was a group of drunk-looking teenagers crowding around a girl. _Shit, _she thought. What were they going to do?_

_She crept closer quietly, so that they wouldn't realise that she was watching them, and hid in a bush. She thought that it would be a safer idea to first scope out the situation, and then act as necessary. The men were spread out in a circle, and as they moved around the girl, she got a better view of her. She was hunched over to protect her self. She had wavy, brown hair, was about as tall as Ellie was, and was wearing a big jacket and old jeans. Ellie gasped when one of the men moved all the way out of her line of vision; there was no mistaking that silhouette. _Karla.

_The situation had just become much more dire. Ellie jumped to her feet, and sprinted the hundred metres to her best friend. As she neared the group of men, their shouting become easier to understand._

"_Come here, sweetheart."_

"_We're not gonna hurt ya."_

"_We just wanna have some fun."_

_They were slurring, and were obviously wasted. Ellie pushed through them, and went to hug her friend protectively, holding her up just as her knees gave way. Karla collapsed against Ellie, and began weeping, hiding her head in Ellie's neck._

"_Not again! Not again!" She was sobbing, and Ellie became even more angry, and a bit confused. _

"_Oh look, another one," one of the men smirked, nudging his friend._

"_Double the fun," he replied. Ellie looked up at them, eyes ablaze with rage and disgust._

"_Back away right now, before I knock you all the way back to last year," she warned, wrapping her arms around Karla. The men snickered. They were doubting her, and obivously had no idea what they were getting themselves into. _

"_Oh, look at that. She thinks she can fight us," one of the men chuckled. _

"_It's alright dollface; we ain't gonna hurt ya," he added, moving closer to Ellie, reaching out. Ellie took this as her cue to let go of Karla and let her crumple to the ground. Her fist swung through the air, landing a blow on the man's nose with a loud _'crack'_. He cried out, and Ellie used this distraction to kick him in the stomach. He fell to his knees, groaning and clutching his stomach. The rest of the men looked at her with wide eyes, both surprised and fearful._

"_I did warn you. Now get your asses out of here before I give you the same treatment as your friend got," Ellie growled, her head held high. One of the men gulped audibly, and started running. The other two grabbed the injured guy from the ground and followed after him._

_As soon as they were gone, Ellie dropped down next to Karla, hugging her close and whispering soothing words._

"_Karla, hun, we gotta get up now. We'll go back to my place, yeah? It's not far, and you'll be safe there," she said slowly, smoothing down Karla's hair. Karla nodded, and looked up to Ellie through her eyelashes, tears still running down her face. Ellie smiled grimly. What had happened back there?_

"_C'mon, we'll get up together." They stood up, and, with Karla still tightly pressed against her side, they started the short distance back to Ellie's house._

* * *

_Once they arrived at Ellie's house, they collapsed into the lounge. Ellie got a blanket out of a cupboard and draped it over Karla, telling her that she would be right back. Karla nodded, but didn't say anything. She curled up into a fetus position, and was still crying, though silently now. Ellie raced out to the shed in her back yard, where she knew her dad would be. He was always in there, tinkering with one thing or another._

"_Dad! Dad, I need to talk to you, now!" Ellie yelled out, and her dad rushed out with grease all over his face and hands. He was worried because of Ellie's tone, and her panicked expression. Ellie's dad was an ex-Marine, and was a pretty big guy. He had a tough exterior, but his daughter was one of the only people who knew how soft he really was._

"_El, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked, placing his hands on her arms. She looked at him, nearly crying._

"_I'm fine, Dad. It's Karla," she spoke quickly. Her dad got even more worried. Ellie had told him all about Karla, and he already thought of her fondly, though he had never met her. _

"_She... She got approached by some drunks, and Dad... I think they were gonna rape her and hurt her," Ellie said, tears at the corners of her eyes. Her dad's eyes widened in alarm._

"_What? Is she okay? Are you okay?" _

"_I stopped them before they could hurt her," Ellie replied. "I punched and kicked one of the jerks, and they ran off like the cowards they are."_

"_That's my girl," he smirked proudly, despite the situation. "Are you sure they didn't hurt you at all?" He asked, checking her for injuries._

"_Yeah, dad, I'm fine, but Karla, she's a mess. She was sobbing and she collapsed, and she had good reason to. But she kept saying '_not again, not again_'. I don't know what to do, Dad." Her dad sighed, realising that Karla must have some secrets. _

"_Well, by the sounds of it, this isn't the first time something like this has happened to her," He stated. _

"_Yeah, that's what I was afraid of."_

"_Because of that, I don't think it would be very wise for me to go in, considering that I am quite tall and a guy. You should call her parents, make sure that they know she's here, but don't tell them the whole thing. It's Karla's decision if she wants to tell them or not. Get her some hot chocolate, and just make sure she's comfortable, maybe watch a movie. She'll talk to you about it when she feels like she can," her dad suggested, and Ellie nodded along._

"_Just make sure she knows that you aren't gonna leave her alone because of what happened."_

"_Okay. Thanks so much dad, love you." Her dad smiled, though it was a small one._

"_Yeah, love you too."_

_Ellie went back inside, and whipped up a batch of hot chocolate for Karla and herself. She took the drinks down to the lounge and closed the door behind her, so they were isolated from the outside world._

"_Karla. Karla, I need you to look at me," Karla turned her head, and Ellie noted that she had stopped crying. Ellie handed over the cup of hot chocolate to Karla, and placed her own on the coffee table. Karla took it gratefully, and took a few sips._

"_I need you to know that you are safe here, and I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you," Ellie stated, sitting next to her friend._

"_I know," Karla uttered weakly. Ellie nodded._

"_Okay. Now, we're gonna watch a movie and you can talk to me about what happened whenever you want to, but first I need to call your parents, so they know that you're at my place, okay?" Ellie asked, talking softly. Karla nodded, and Ellie smiled a little. She got up, and went to the phone in the corner of the room. She dialed the number for Karla's landline, which she had long since memorised, and briefly explained the situation to her parents, who seemed very understanding. They trusted Karla with Ellie, because Ellie was one of the few things that Karla talked about. They sounded like they had gone through this before, and this only cemented Ellie's suspicions that Karla had a secret. Of course, Ellie was fine with Karla having secrets, because she knew that when Karla was comfortable enough with Ellie to talk about it, she would. _

_Ellie walked over to the television, and pulled out a DVD._

"_How about _Star Wars?_" Ellie asked, and Karla gave a small smile, nodding. Both girls shared a love for the saga. She put the DVD on, and the girls spent the rest of the day marathoning the movies and some other TV shows in almost silence. It was comfortable though, and Karla seemed to be feeling better by the time they finished the _Terminator _movies. And, right now, her best friend's wellbeing was the most important thing to Ellie._

_The pair went up to Ellie's bedroom at around 3 in the morning, when their eyes were finding it hard to stay open. They had eaten lots of ice crream, lollies, coffee and hot chocolate. Karla was laughing at the movie by the time they were on the last one, so she was feeling infinitely better. Ellie let her borrow some of her clothes to sleep in, and after having quick showers and brushing their teeth, they went to bed. Luckily, Ellie had a double bed, so they both fit comfortably. Ellie was nearly asleep when Karla spoke up quietly._

"_Ellie? Are you still awake?" She asked, turning on her side to face her friend._

"_Well, I am now. What do you need?" Ellie replied, thinking Karla wanted a drink or something._

"_Well, um, I guess I owe you an explanation," Karla said, which surprised Ellie. She knew that Karla would eventually want to talk about what happened, but Ellie didn't think she would open up so soon._

"_Karla, you don't owe me anything, but if you think it will help, you can talk to me anytime you want."_

"_Okay. First, I wanna thank you. If you hadn't come to my rescue, I might be really hurt now, or even dead. So thank you so much. You're my hero," Karla spoke quietly, and her friend smiled brightly._

"_And you're my damsel in distress," Ellie replied, making Karla laugh._

"_Yeah, sure. But, before I start, are you sure you're ready for the burden of my story?"_

"_Hey, you know you can tell me anything. That's what friends are for, right?" Ellie nudged Karla playfully, and she smiled._

"_Thanks. Well, I guess I should clarify that the people that I'm living with aren't my real parents. They're a foster family, and I just moved here a few months ago. That's why I was the new girl at school," Karla whispered, looking down. Ellie turned over to face her, but was speechless. What can you say to that?_

"_My real mum died when I was twelve. She got hit by a drunk truck driver, and was pronounced dead at the scene. My real dad turned to alcohol soon after, and blamed her death on me. He really loved her, you know? How could you deal with a loss like that?" Karla was crying softly, her brow furrowed._

"_But, he blamed it on me. And at one point, I began to believe that it was my fault, even though I had nothing to do with it. I was nearly thirteen when he first hit me." Ellie gasped, lifting her hand to her mouth, but Karla continued on with her story._

"_As the months went on, it got worse. I would end up with broken ribs, arms, and once, he broke my leg by pushing me down the stairs. I got horrible bruises, and I was almost always limping. Our neighbour started becoming suspicious because of our constant noise and trips to the hospital. One morning, I walked out of the house with a black eye, and that was when our neighbour had had enough. He called the cops once I left for school, and when I came home, the foster agency and the police were sitting in my living room._

"_They said that they had arrested my dad, and he had plead guilty for child abuse. They told me that everything was going to get better, and that they would find me a family who would be good to me. They told me to pack my bags, and by nightfall, we were out of the house for good. They tried their best, they really did, to find me a good foster family. But after a few weeks with each family, I got hurt again. They would hit me, verbally abuse me, and I almost got raped a few times. I've been moving through foster families for the past four years as a result." Once Karla finished her speech, Ellie moved forward and hugged her friend tightly._

"_Oh my god, Karla. I'm so fucking sorry. No child should ever have to go through that. Holy shit," Ellie gushed, crying with Karla. _

"_Yeah, trust me, I'm sorry too."_

"_Just remember if you ever need to talk, I'm here." Both girls were silent for several moments, until Ellie spoke up again._

"_Y'know, I could get Dad to teach some fighting stuff if you want? You might feel safer, or something" Ellie suggested, leaning back. Karla nodded slowly, her brow furrowed in thought._

"_Yeah, that might actually help. You know, with me being all scared and timid and stuff," Karla agreed, and Ellie made a mental note to talk to her dad about it. Another worrying thought popped into her head._

"_What about your parents now?" Ellie asked, unsure about her friend's safety._

"_They're the nicest folks I've ever known. They're an elderly couple who never had kids, and they're so sweet. I think that I could be fine this time," Karla shrugged, smiling slightly._

"_Good. I don't want you to go anywhere," Ellie smiled too, and Karla chuckled._

"_Neither do I." They stayed like that for a very long time, comforting each other, until they both fell into a dreamless sleep._

* * *

And so, life went on. And, all things considered, it was a relatively normal life. But doesn't everything begin as normal? It seems that fate just doesn't like it that way.


	3. Is That You, Edward Cullen?

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" Karla's voice called out in the motel room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, lacing up her boots.

"Its too early!" Ellie groaned, rolling over and burying her face into the pillow. Karla chuckled, and pulled the blanket off of her. Ellie screamed, but it was muffled by the pillow.

"Hate to burst your bubble, princess, but its two in the afternoon." Ellie flipped over and sat up sharply, rubbing her eyes.

"Karla!" She whined, pouting. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Ellie looked at the alarm clock on the table between their beds, and swung her legs over the edge of her bed.

"I thought you might need it. We spent nearly two weeks on that last hunt, and you drove all night. I slept in the car, so I figured you deserved a sleep in," Karla shrugged, walking over to the door.

"What are you doing now?" Ellie grumbled sleepily.

"I'm gonna go to get some late lunch and beer. Can you survive for half an hour?" Karla smirked at the state her friend was in; she _really_ wasn't a morning person (or an afternoon person, in this case). Ellie sighed overdramatically, and flopped back down on her bed. Karla laughed.

"Yeah, I love you too. Bye," Karla grabbed her keys from the dresser and walked out of the room. She walked past several doors until she reached the motel carpark. Her face lit up as her car came into sight; a rundown 1967 Pontiac GTO. It was convertible, and painted red and covered in scratches and dirt from their trip, and she had bought it shortly after her and Ellie started on their trip to travel across America to hunt. It was her prize possession, and she could remember the day she bought it like it was only yesterday.

_It had been several months since the incident. Karla and Ellie had left their town of Astoria, Illinois, and had decided to drive across America to start their hunting lives. They needed something to do to distract themselves. _

_In their small van, that had once belonged to Ellie's dad, was a small arsenal of hunting gear. Both girls knew that eventually, they would be able to get more, but for now, it was enough. They had been warned to start small, with monsters like ghosts that weren't too powerful. So, they travelled, and they travelled quite far. Well, as far as they could, before the van broke down. _

"_Why us?" Karla groaned, placing her head in her hands. They had been trying to start the van for nearly twenty minutes, but it had yet to work. Ellie through her head back, closing her eyes and sighing deeply. _

"_Okay, this isn't gonna work," Ellie stated, turning to face Karla, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to her. _

"_No shit."_

"_Hey now, no need to get like that, buddy," Ellie smiled at her friend's irritation, and opened her door._

"_What are you doing?" Karla lifted her head, and looked at Ellie. _

"_I saw a car sales place a couple of blocks back. This van is old, and I'm surprised it lasted even this long. So, I was thinking, we could maybe buy our own car?" Ellie hopped out of the van, and closed her door, walking around to Karla's side. Karla opened her door and jumped out, now much happier. Karla had told Ellie how much she had wanted her own car, but of course, she never had the possibility to buy one. _

"_Yes! C'mon, lets go!" Karla grabbed Ellie's hand and started dragging her in the direction that Ellie had pointed. _

"_You're like a child, you know that?" Ellie laughed, jogging to keep up with Karla._

_They arrived at the car yard after walking for a mile or so, and both girls were surprised. They were standing at the entrance to the car yard, but what it really looked like a rubbish dump. There were parts of cars everywhere, and it didn't look like anything could be legally driven on the road._

"_Um, Ellie, I thought you said this was a car yard, not a scrap yard?" Karla turned to her friend, raising an eyebrow._

"_Hey, it looked good from the road," Ellie crossed her arms and huffed. Karla smiled at her friend's behaviour and walked into the car yard._

"_C'mon, we may as well check it out while we're here," she said, shrugging and gesturing for Ellie to follow her. They walked around the yard for ten or so minutes, but all they saw were the shells of old cars. _

"_Sorry to burst your bubble, Karla, but I don't think we're gonna find anything here," Ellie said, kicking an old tire. _

"_Yeah, I guess-" Karla started, but was interrupted by a short, bald man. He was walking over to them, and was wearing khaki pants and a Hawaiian patterned shirt. _

"_Ladies!" He called out, waving a hand. When he reached them, he held out his hand for them to shake. The girls shared a look, but both shook his hand, Karla first and then Ellie. _

"_I thought I could hear voices. What can I do for you today?" He asked, looking up at them and stroking his curly mustache. _

"_Well, uh, we're looking for a car," Ellie started, running a hand through her hair._

"_And preferably a working one," Karla added. The little man nodded furiously, ignoring Karla's jab. _

"_Of course, of course. Right this way," the man walked away in short, quick strides. He led them to a clearing where there was a dozen or so cars scattered around. There didn't seem to be any car parts around, and the cars seemed to be in working order, though they were rather old and very dirty._

"_We have had a huge surge in business lately, and sold all of our best cars. This is all we have left, but some of these beauties are classics," the small man said, gesturing to the vehicles around him. Karla snorted, knowing full well that the two girls were probably the first customers the car yard had seem in a few years. Ellie elbowed her discreetly, and walked forward, examining the cars. _

"_Uh, thanks. We'll just take a look around, I guess." The man nodded and walked off to God knows where, and Karla swiveled on the spot to get a better look at the merchandise._

"_Well, this is exciting," she stated, with faked enthusiasm. Ellie snorted, and nodded._

"_Yeah, well, it's this or we pay a few hundred dollars to get the van fixed."_

"_Sorry Ellie, but that van has been a piece of crap from the start," Karla shrugged, walking over to a blue wagon with several dints in it. _

"_You wound me, Karla," Ellie said, placing a hand over her heart. "But I totally agree."_

_Karla wiped a finger over the hood of the car she was looking at, and when she lifted it it was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. She held her finger up for Ellie to see, and scrunched up her face in disgust. Ellie laughed, and Karla wiped her finger on the pair of old jeans she was wearing. _

"_What about this one?" Ellie asked, gesturing to an old, silver ute. She walked over to it, and Karla followed. Ellie bent down to inspect the tires, and Karla stuck her head through the broken passenger window. She immediately pulled her head back out again, though, coughing. _

"_Whew," she gagged, holding her nose. "What died in there?" _

_Ellie stood up and sniffed, and backed away too._

"_Ah, that's a no, then." Karla shook her head vigorously and turned around to keep walking, only to bump into another car._

"_Aw, man, now I've got dirt all on me," she whined, looking down at the grime all on the front of her clothes from walking into the dusty car. _

"_Are you even sure it's dirt?" Ellie gave a short bark of laughter, walking over to her friend. The car she had bumped into was covered in such a thick layer of dust, that the two girls couldn't even see what colour it was. Ellie picked up a clean-looking rag from the ground, and wiped it over the hood. _

"_Huh." The car was painted red, and as they looked closer, they realised it was a convertible. It had four doors, and seemed to be in pretty good condition. There were quite a few scratches on it, and a few dints, but Karla immediately fell in love with it. She looked up to Ellie with a smile on her face, and opened her mouth to say something when the owner came back over._

"_Well, girls, have you made a choice?" He asked, rubbing his hands together greedily. _

"_We'll take this one, thanks," Karla nodded and pointed at the red car, with the most enthusiastic smile she had worn for several months._

* * *

Karla looked at her car with the same expression she had worn when they had bought it. They traded Ellie's dad's van for it, and drove it straight out of the car yard. Ellie insisted that they rush to a car wash before anything else, and the girls got a better look at the exterior of the car. It had more scratches and dents than they had originally thought, but Karla insisted that it gave the vehicle personality. The inside looked much better than the outside; it was cream leather and seemed relatively clean and stain-free. And best of all, it didn't smell like something had died in it.

At first, Ellie had disliked the car, but Karla's enthusiasm was contagious, and soon she had been smiling and sining along to _Metallica _too.

Karla hopped in the driver's side, and turned the radio on. She tuned into a rock station, and bobbed her head along with the music. She drove with the windows down (they still couldn't get the air conditioner to work) to a diner with a corner store across from it that she had spotted on the way to their motel.

The girls had stopped in a small town to rest after finishing a hunt in Wichita. They had ganked an arachne, though it had taken nearly two weeks because they were not previously aware that they even existed. Three people died, but they saved a young woman and her girlfriend, so it was worth it.

Karla pulled into the parking lot of the diner. It was called _Jimmy's_, and was open 24/7. Karla walked in, and wasn't surprised to see the diner full of people. It seemed to be a very popular place, so Karla hoped that the food would be good. She joined the line, and waited for about ten minutes until she reached the counter. The server was, as Ellie would say, super cute, and he winked at Karla. She politely refrained from rolling her eyes, and ordered two cheeseburgers, two serves of chips and a salad, along with some soda. She collected her food when they called out her name, and saw that the server had written his name, number and a smiley face. This time she rolled her eyes, openly showing her annoyance.

She checked that she had been given what she had ordered, and walked back outside. It was just starting to rain, and the sky was darkening. She looked up and smiled; Karla had always loved rain.

She walked over to the corner store to get some necessities. The harsh blast of air conditioning hit her right in the face, and her eyes watered for a second. She huffed, and began to walk through the aisles, rubbing her eyes.

The aisles were filled with the typical stock of a corner store: magazines, junk food, some fruit and vegetables, small toys and some vending machines on one side. Karla picked up a magazine with the details about a scandal between some famous guy and his kid's nanny. They may be hunters, but Karla and Ellie thought it was important to keep up with the outside world (gossip magazines are _totally_ credible sources of information).

Karla loooked down at her watch; she had been out for almost half an hour. _The food will be getting cold_, Karla thought. She ran through her shopping list (which was a very short shopping list, and consisted of: toothbrushes, snacks, salt and girl stuff (you know what I mean).

She walked to the end of the aisle she was in, where all of the hygiene things were, and grabbed what she needed. She moved onto the next aisle, and browsed through the snack options. There were bags of chips, crackers, and lollies. She settled on some _Twisties _and _Doritos_, and a bottle of soda, and walked along until she found some salt. She grabbed three medium-sized cannisters or rock salt, in their favourite brand, and walked up to the counter.

The cashier looked like he was about to fall asleep, and he had ear buds in. He had his music turned up so loud, that Karla could hear it from where she stood. She sighed, knowing that the guy wouldn't notice her. She slapped her palm on the counter, frowning at the cashier, and he flinched.

"Woah, sorry. Didn't see you there," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Obviously," Karla replied, sarcasm dripping off her words. She glared at him while she passed her things over to be scanned. The guy rested his head on one hand, and scanned the items with the other. He looked very bored, and Karla couldn't blame him; it seemed that the store wasn't very popular, as it had been empty since before Karla walked in.

While she was waiting for the cashier to finish, she looked around the counter. To her left was a newspaper stand. On the front page of the first newspaper was an article in bold. The article was accompanied by a gruesome picture of a dead body at a crime scene. The face had been blurred, but it still caught her attention. She started reading the article, picking up the newspaper to get a better look.

_Another young girl was found dead early this morning. Like the other victims, she was in her early twenties and had a set of bite marks on her neck. Authorities say that she had been drained of blood, but they would not disclose any further information. What we do know though, is that the police are no closer to catching the killer. The murders look somewhat like animal attacks, but what kind of animal would kill four young girls so cleanly? Are any of us safe? We suggest that you stay indoors if you fit the discription of the victims. For more, turn to page 7._

Karla's eyebrows furrowed, and she placed the newspaper of the counter.

"Hey, can you scan this too?" She asked, gesturing to the newspaper. The cashier nodded and put it in the bag with her other stuff.

"That'll be $31.95." Karla handed over a credit card under the name of _Dolores Umbridge_. It obviously wasn't hers; she had stolen it from an nastly looking little old lady, and Ellie had done something with her computer to give them access to it. Karla didn't know what Ellie had done, but she knew it had been hard, and she was glad that her friend was so clever.

The guy handed the card back over and gave her two plastic bags with her items in it. She took them, muttered a thank you, and quickly left. She didn't want their food to get any colder than it already was, so she was trying to hurry back to the motel room. She hopped into her car, putting the bags on the passenger seat with the food, and turned the key to start the car.

Karla got back just over ten minutes, but she got stuck at probably every red light in town.

"Curse my bad luck," she muttered under her breath as she fumbled with the bags and unlocking the door at the same time.

The door swung open, slamming into the wall. Karla walked in with a pile of bags in her arms, and she dumped them on the round dining table. She sighed, bending back to to stretch.

"Thanks for helping, Sleeping Beauty," she grumbled, as Ellie came out of the bathroom. She was towel-drying her hair, and smiling at Karla.

"No problem," she grinned. Ellie walked over to the table and starting sorting through the food. She pulled out a burger, and pumped her fist in the air.

"Yes! Love me some cheeseburgers." She immediately unwrapped it, and took a large bite. Her eyes closed as she chewed, savouring the burger. Karla laughed, and grabbed her own burger out. They stood eating their burgers, the room silent except for the sounds of their chewing.

"Oh! I f'got. I fink I found us anofer case," she spoke, her words muffled because of the food in her mouth. She pulled out the newspaper, and slid it across the table for Ellie to see. Ellie put down her burger and picked up the newspaper, reading the article about the blood-less body. She nodded as she read, her eyes darting left to right over the words. She swallowed the mouthful of food she had been chewing, and looked up to Karla thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I think it probably is something. I guess we will be staying here longer than we thought," Ellie nodded, taking another bite of her burger. Karla took another bite too.

"Vamfire?" Ellie asked, her words muffled by her food. Karla nodded.

"Vamfire."


End file.
